Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi
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Made in just 20 min from start to finish! The garlic butter sauce is TO DIE FOR – so buttery, so garlicky/lemony + so perfect!
Featured Comment
Is it just me or do you all want to go swimming in this pool of butter sauce? Don’t be shy, guys. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to face plant yourself right into this. And I really just want all the crusty bread in this world to soak up everything. A single drop should not be left behind.
why i love this recipe
- Quick cooking time. Shrimp scampi comes together in lightning fast speed – we’re talking 20 minutes start to finish.
- Restaurant-quality. This may cook quickly, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have restaurant-quality shrimp right at home using bigger and better quality shrimp all around. Talk about more bang for your buck!
- Versatile recipe. Serve this as an appetizer with some crusty bread, or over a bed of angel hair pasta and a salad as a fancy dinner.
types of shrimp
Wild caught shrimp vs. farmed shrimp
Farmed shrimp are raised in controlled environments, whereas wild caught shrimp have been caught in their natural habitats by fishermen. Wild caught shrimp is generally preferred over farmed shrimp primarily due to taste.
Frozen vs. fresh shrimp
Unless you reside in a coastal area, the “fresh shrimp” on display at your local grocery store have already been previously frozen at sea. Frozen shrimp offers ultimate freshness (flash-frozen as soon as they are caught) and flexibility, using only what you need for dinner. Bottom line, frozen shrimp will taste better and cook better.
tips and tricks for success
- Use a cast iron skillet. Cast iron skillets retain heat much better than a nonstick skillet, allowing for even cooking and a better sear on the shrimp.
- Know your shrimp size. Shrimp size is calculated on number of shrimp per pound. The smaller the number, the larger your shrimp. There are about 40-50 medium shrimp per pound. Note that smaller shrimp will cook much faster!
- Buy frozen shrimp. For superior quality and freshness, using frozen shrimp is ideal (but avoid the bags with freezer burn), opting for a quick thaw under cold running water.
- Cook in batches. Overcrowding the pan will lead to poor searing and chewy, rubbery shrimp.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover shrimp can be rubbery when reheated in the microwave. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 325°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
what to serve with garlic butter shrimp scampi
BEST Tools For COOKING garlic butter shrimp scampi
Large cast iron skillet
For the best texture and flavor, use a large, heavy-bottomed skillet that holds heat evenly.
Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi: Frequently Asked Questions
Unsalted butter allows you to add as much salt (or as little) salt in your dish, allowing for more control and consistency.
You can replace unsalted butter with salted butter in a pinch, reducing the amount of salt indicated in the recipe, and adding to taste.
You can thaw frozen shrimp overnight, transferring it from the freezer to the fridge the day before. For a quick thaw, you can run them under cold water until completely thawed, about 5-10 minutes. Pat them dry as thoroughly as possible to remove any excess moisture (so they can brown nicely and evenly).
The lemon juice helps balance out the flavors and richness of the butter.
Absolutely! This can be served over angel hair, linguine, fettuccine, or any other long strand pasta option.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 day.
Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Equipment
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, shallot and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add shrimp; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in parsley, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Serve immediately.
Video
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So easy to make, packs lots of flavor. Served it
Surprised my husband tonight with this recipe as it’s his favorite meal. He loved it and so did I! Thank you!
This was the bomb at my house!! I could’ve eaten two plates full, but I restrained myself!!
I personally did not like it. And I love butter and garlic.. son and husband enjoyed it more… can’t pin point what went wrong…
I made this recipe and it was so delicious!
Super easy to make! I recommend measuring and chopping all of the ingredients before starting to cook. We added asparagus tips to the recipe. We found the red pepper to be too much, so we will put less in next time. We just wish there had been more sauce for the angel hair though. Overall it’s a great recipe!
Great easy weeknight recipe! Just don’t mess up and buy the unpeeled shrimp like I did ♀️
I picked this dish to make on a work night for just my husband and myself. So I used only a pound of shrimp, but kept the rest of the ingredients as instructed. Didn’t have shallots though, so I used thinly sliced green onions (white and pale green parts only). I believe I used 2 large organic ones. Served over fettuccine, his favorite.
The flavor is phenomenal, but my husband the sauce was a little thin and suggested adding just a bit of jarred Alfredo sauce. I was skeptical lol. I thought they would either meld beautifully or clash horribly.
They melded
I know it sounds unconventional and a little lazy, but in a pinch it’s definitely worth trying.
Does the shrimp have to be frozen? Or does it release to much water?
Sautéed 8 ounces of portabella mushrooms with the shrimp and served it over angel hair pasta with fresh parm. Delicious.
Really good!! Increased the butter, mixed the pasta in!! My husband said it was absolutely delicious and he’s not a big pasta person.
Delicious
Absolutely amazing! I’ve made many versions of shrimp scampi before and this was hands down the best one I’ve ever made! So full of flavor! My husband loved it so much!! A definite repeat on our menu for sure! Thank you for sharing this!
Wonderful! I substituted some of the butter with olive oil and added only a quarter teaspoon lemon juice replacing it with 1/3 cup white wine.
This recipe was so simple and end result amazing!
love it…perfect amount of butter & garlic
LOVED this recipe! It was so easy to make and the red pepper added a nice twist to it! I will be making this again and often!
Absolute a favorite !! So easy to make, and delicious. Love this recipe.
I made this for my boyfriend the other day when I had my own dinner plan. It was my first time making shrimp, as they’re not something I eat, so I was nervous to do so. Luckily he devoured it! He raved about how flavorful it was, how well the angel hair pasta I served it over soaked it up too, and how perfectly the shrimp were cooked. The shrimp took to the flavor so well that he assumed I marinated them beforehand!
Have made similar. All great!
This was easy and oh so tasty! Thank you!
this shrimp recipe was wonderful – the only thing I can say, is there wasn’t much sauce…what there was of sauce was delicious and I “hungered for more!”
Any idea how to get more of the sauce?
Thank you!
The picture does show a lot of sauce. I make 1 1/2 – 2 times the recipe if I want to swim in it! ; )